Conficker Worm Strike Reports Start Rolling In 508
Nieriko writes "Reports are trickling in about the impact from the Conficker worm, as infected systems passed zero hour at midnight and began downloading additional malicious components. Here are a couple of the more notable incidents caused by Conficker so far, according to published reports: — '... shortly after midnight local time, an ATM in the capital city of Reykjavik began spewing 100-Krona notes. ... A nuclear missile installation near Elmendorf Air force Base outside of Anchorage, Alaska briefly went on a full-scale military alert after technicians manning the bunker suspected that several of their control systems were infected with Conficker.'"
I think its infected my car. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I think its infected my car. (Score:5, Funny)
They just want to make sure you become a properly informed citizen from a reliable and unbiased source!
Re:I think its infected my car. (Score:5, Informative)
They all have agendas.
Re:I think its infected my car. (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:I think its infected my car. (Score:5, Insightful)
The degree of bias from Fox/CNN/MSNBC is subjectively scored based on how much you agree with whatever slop they're dishing out.
In other words, if you believe MSNBC has no bias, then you will also believe that Fox has an extreme bias. The reverse is also true.
Re:I think its infected my car. (Score:5, Funny)
I consider myself to be a conservative. From my perspective:
-Fox News is right leaning
-CNN is slightly left leaning
-MSNBC is forward-leaning (because they're getting pounded from behind by the Obama administration)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
You know, nobody has ever given me an example of how Fox News is biased or twists its news. It's just an accepted punchline that nobody questions.
A UCLA-Stanford media study done a few years ago showed Fox News was the most centrist, with Brit Hume's show being the fairest of all news shows on TV. Naturally, the media didn't report this study very widely.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
A Measure of Media Bias [ucla.edu]
Tim Groseclose
Department of Political Science
UCLA
Jeff Milyo
Department of Economics
University of Missouri
December 2004
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Not true at all. You think it's more biased, but it's most likely just that you're more violently opposed to the particular brand of bias on Fox than on the other channels. I know that holds true for me, but in the reverse: I can't watch most of those other channels because the fundamental principles ('first beliefs') the reporters hold are plainly evident in the "biased" speech they use when interviewing and discussing - or even the particular slant or perspective they decide to take on a story.
News isn't
Re:I think its infected my car. (Score:5, Informative)
Your list is but an understatement of the depth of their leanings... at least Fox gives a conservative view - whereas the others do NOT.
What is amazing is that the real haters of Fox don't acknowledge the bias of the others. It's completely laughable.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
(any "true" anyone.)
The Conficker Worm is infecting people's brains. Apparently its using Fox News as a vector to turn the viewers into netbots. This represents a significant escalation in virus technology.
Oh wait, I guess this has bee around for a while.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
The other poster already commented on the journalist thing...but when your news station has a "non-journalist" covering Obama's major speeches, how do you expect rational, logical people to take y
Re:I think its infected my car. (Score:5, Funny)
at least Fox gives a conservative view - whereas the others do NOT.
Well duh, reality has a liberal bias. ;)
Re:I think its infected my car. (Score:5, Insightful)
There are two parts to the Fox News Channel: the journalism part and the editorial part. The journalism part is actually pretty "fair and balanced," and that's the part most people refer to when they talk about media bias. Unfortunately, that part comes on while no one is watching.
The editorial part is unabashedly conservative, but even they do a better job than the other channels in at least having someone there to provide token opposition. Their bias is very evident because they provide the contrast right there. Other channels with less obvious bias usually will at best tell you the other side's position in their own words.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
"the real haters of Fox" -- Real Scotsman fallacy.
You're wrong, because a REAL Scotsman wouldn't use a fallacious argument.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
They are going to start selling water made from his tears.
Re:I think its infected my car. (Score:5, Insightful)
university-elitist brainwashing...
Most people call that "learning".
Re:I think its infected my car. (Score:5, Insightful)
Learning is the mental absorption and retention of information. Whether the information you learned is true or false is something else again, and I think that's the point he was making. Some universities may, in fact, be causing their students to learn false information. Brainwashing is a form of learning too.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:I think its infected my car. (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:I think its infected my car. (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:I think its infected my car. (Score:5, Insightful)
Why only two?
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Sorry, that's just a symptom of your, severe, brain damage.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re:I think its infected my car. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I think its infected my car. (Score:5, Funny)
All my radio stations were switched to fox news radio.
A station that is not clearchannel still exists?
Re:I think its infected my car. (Score:5, Funny)
Oh, it's a lot worse than that! My laptop keeps telling me that all my base are belong to them, but it won't tell me who they are...
Re:I think its infected my car. (Score:4, Interesting)
Some of my scripts spit out 9.5 GB log files.
See?
http://img25.imageshack.us/my.php?image=goodlogsgonebad.png [imageshack.us]
ATM (Score:3, Funny)
Re:ATM (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Wow - I had no idea cocaine was that cheap in Europe!
Re: (Score:2)
I'd be amazed if mine did. I never see a 100 Euro note around here. Heck, I rarely see more than a $20 bill.
Re:ATM (Score:4, Funny)
It does, it just debits them from your account like normal.
The damndest thing with these stories today (Score:5, Insightful)
It's so hard to tell which ones are too stupid to be true and so stupid they probably are true.
Re: (Score:2)
What if the Singularity went down today?
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
mebbe it did, and we'll just keep repeating this day over and over again, ending in destruction an infinite number of times, and we won't even know enough to say, "Oh no, not again."
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Re:The damndest thing with these stories today (Score:5, Interesting)
What if they REALLY got the singularity, and they are officially announcing it now?
Re:The damndest thing with these stories today (Score:5, Informative)
From the article:
In case you haven't guessed it yet, APRIL FOOLS!!! Seriously, if we get any real news about outages, deaths, or disruptions actually caused by Conficker today, you will read it here first.
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
How do you know it's not that part that is the April fool? That is, rather than publishing a fictitious article, make you believe that a legitimate article is untrue?
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
It's so hard to tell which ones are too stupid to be true and so stupid they probably are true.
Sad reality is Conficker's authors were smart enough to rely on the stupidity of said news publishers.
Disinformation with zero effort, for nearly 48 hours, who wouldn't want to launch their malicious plan on this very day?
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Or maybe they are ALSO infected with Conficker, and it causes news about itself to be riddled with "April Fools!" disclaimers...
o_O
100 króna notes? (Score:2)
those are worth around 80c, i call shens
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Can I pretend that I just tricked you with an April Fool's joke? Or did I just make myself look like an ass?
~sigh~ Serves me right for posting an arrogant retort. 100 Icelandic króna [wikipedia.org] would be worth 47 US cents [google.com].
This just in... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:This just in... (Score:5, Funny)
Genius (Score:5, Insightful)
Whoever set this virus up was smart to have things happen on April 1st. I never know if these reports are real or someone is making a joke.
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Genius (Score:5, Informative)
Almost there, keep trying (Score:2)
Almost worked. There were a few nice parts, but the disclaimer were too over the top, and the thing about Big Ben even more unbeliveable than the oen about Alaska. And if they wanted a game joke, they could have worked better on the Leroy character.
OMGPONIES, I'm meta-moderating April's Fools articles. That's a low blow in my life.
Related Conficker Incident ... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Related Conficker Incident ... (Score:5, Funny)
Non-story (Score:2)
Re:Non-story (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
I think a more general "-1 Whooosshh" option for all missed jokes would be better.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Moderators should just refuse to moderate April Fool's stories. The story's from an alternate reality; let them moderate their own insane events.
You can tell who actually RTFA ... (Score:4, Informative)
The end of the Fine Article:
Local Washington State Radio Reported (Score:2, Funny)
Reykjavik (Score:3, Funny)
Relax! They've already admitted the DEFCON 3 (Score:2)
Was the result of missile jockeys who'd had a bit too much coffee. Nothing to do with conficker. Not a Wargames [youtube.com] scenario at all.
It's already attacking the shoe cupboard here (Score:2)
Who was fooled? (Score:2)
Its April first. Was anyone actually thinking they were serious?
Conficker strikes (Score:2, Funny)
Not funny... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Well different people have different sense of humor. I think it would presumptuous for you or I to claim with any kind of objective authority that this fake news report isn't funny. I'm sure there are plenty of people who think it is.
I personally don't think it's that funny--but again my point is just that humor is a variable thing. So just because you or I don't get a laugh from it, doesn't mean it isn't funny.
What is funny, in my opinion, is reading through the Slashdot comments and seeing how many of the
The Best April Fools Joke (Score:3, Insightful)
Most reports are fake... (Score:2)
I loved this one....
Banking officials there reportedly said the Microsoft Windows-based based bank system began disbursing the bills after a local prankster crammed an infected USB stick into the maw of the teller machine.
If your ATM's have usb slots, your bankers need to be killed right now in a giant pyre in the streets.
And can anyone tell me where the MAW of my laptop is?
Meanwhile, on Craigslist... (Score:5, Funny)
Conficker suspected (Score:2)
My Probs (Score:2)
RTA : April Fools (Score:2)
In more news (Score:2)
The worm infected international banking systems, zeroed all overdrafts for people with a net worth less than 250K USD by netting the amounts against accounts owned by people such as Bill Gates, AIG and banking bonus-receipiants and others. It simultaneously wiped out national debts of the USA and other countries by netting against Chinese and Arab nation sovereign wealth funds.
Wealth previously locked up in secret bank accounts in Switzerland and elsewhere was transferred 50% to GM and other struggling com
Virus Alert! (Score:3, Funny)
Really wanna give you a warning
'Cause I found out this morning
About a dangerous, insidious computer virus
If you should get an email with the subject, 'stinky cheese'
Better not go taking your chances
Under no circumstances, should you open it
Or else it will
Translate your documents into Swahili
Make your TV record "Gigli"
Neuter your pets, and give you laundry static cling Look out!
It's gonna make your computer screen freeze Look out!
Erase the Easter eggs off your DVDs Look out!
Erase your hard drive and your backups too
And the hard drive of anyone related to you Virus alert!
Delete immediately before someone gets hurt!
Forward this message on to everybody
Soon, very soon, it will make all the paint peel off your walls
It'll make your keyboard all sticky
Give your poodle a hickey
And invest your cash in stock in Euro Disney
Then, it will tie up your phone, making crank long-distance calls
It'll set your clocks back an hour and start clogging the shower
So just trash it now, or else it will
Decide to give you a permanent wedgie,
Legally change your name to Reggie,
Even mess up the pH balance in your pool Look out!
It's gonna melt your face right off your skull Look out!
And make your iPod only play Jethro Tull Look out!
And tell you knock-knock jokes while you're trying to sleep Look out!
And make you physically attracted to sheep Look out!
Steal your identity and your credit cards Look out!
Buy you a warehouse full of pink leotards Look out!
Then cause a major rift in time and space
And leave a bunch of Twinkie wrappers all over the place
That's right it's a... Virus alert!
Delete immediately before someone gets hurt!
Forward this message on to everybody Virus alert!
Delete immediately before someone gets hurt!
Forward this message on to everybody
Warn all your friends, send this to everybody
Tell everyone you know, tell everybody now
If you get infected, you'll wish you had never been born
So before it emails your grandmother all of your porn
Turn off your computer and make sure it powers down
Drop it in a forty-three-foot hole in the ground
Bury it completely; rocks and boulders should be fine
Then burn all the clothes you may have worn any time you were online! Virus alert!
Delete immediately before someone gets hurt!
Forward this message on to everybody Virus alert!
Delete immediately before someone gets hurt!
Forward this message on to everybody Virus alert!
Delete immediately before someone gets hurt!
Forward this message on to everybody
Warn all your friends, send this to everybody
Tell everyone you know, tell everybody now
What are you waiting for?
Just hurry up and forward this to every single person that you know!
Hit send right now!
Re:Yeah, April Fools... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
In case you haven't guessed it yet, APRIL FOOLS!!! Seriously, if we get any real news about outages, deaths, or disruptions actually caused by Conficker today, you will read it here first.
Nevermind, nevermind. 'Twas a good prank.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
I agree. It's a good one. Both because it's subtle AND it punishes the tendency to not RTFA. Bravo, /.
Re:Yeah, April Fools... (Score:5, Funny)
I've been watching this ConFlickr worm closely
Take note everyone, this is a variant of the Conficker worm, though much more nefarious. According to preliminary reports, it will harness the power of infected, "zombie" computers to flood the internet with pretty pictures of butterflies, ponies, and various other graphic files. The only sure-fire way to protect yourselves is to do a 'search' on your PC for any file with the .JPG extension and delete it.
Hurry, there is precious little time left. The end is pretty frickin' nigh.
Re:Yeah, April Fools... (Score:5, Funny)
Can you help me? I was able to get rid of all .jpg files on my computer but one. I tried to delete ur_mom_traffic_cone_howdidshedothat.jpg but it won't let me.
Says "Access denied: this file is in use and cannot be deleted"
The only things I have running right now are WoW, BT, OOo, Thunderbird, Outlook, Pine, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, 9 VMWare sessions, DreamWeaver and Photoshop.
HELP!
Re:Yeah, April Fools... (Score:5, Funny)
Did you try restarting your computer 3 times? That is what the tech guys at work always tell me to do.
Re:Yeah, April Fools... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Yeah, April Fools... (Score:5, Funny)
Can you help me? I was able to get rid of all .jpg files on my computer but one. I tried to delete ur_mom_traffic_cone_howdidshedothat.jpg but it won't let me.
Says "Access denied: this file is in use and cannot be deleted"
Just be patient, I'm almost done with it.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
you laugh but my elderly father once searched for all dll's and deleted all he could based on something his AV was trying to tell him.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Well, that's what you get for listening to Archvillains.
In other news, there's a flickr user calling herself Jay Peg. Maybe just 'jaypeg.' There's also a racehorse named Jay Peg. I'm gonna put down the Google and back away slowly with my hands in the air now.
Re: (Score:2)
It is a joke, they are apparently using computers with Windows if it is true.
Re: (Score:2)
Good old april fools stories.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
There hasn't been a serious story on /. yet today. I always hope nothing important actually happens on April 1st, for fear it'll be ignored and get filed as "yet another gag"
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Yeah, April Fools... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Yeah, April Fools... (Score:5, Informative)
Really? I could have sworn the ATM I saw a while back sitting in an "altered" state was running a customized version of OS2.
A while back = a couple years though, so I could see it...
Re:Yeah, April Fools... (Score:5, Interesting)
I saw a crashed ATM in the UK some years ago that appeared to be running either NT or Windows 2000. Something from around that era, anyway. It was pretty disturbing to see a floating "illegal operation" dialog box on a screen I had previously assumed was some simple and secure dedicated system.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
A fair few ATMS in the UK run Windows. I've seen RBS, HBOS, Lloyds TSB and Abbey with Windows Error boxes/BSODs/Loading Screens. It's not totally uncommon.
Also, Here [lmgtfy.com]
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Many, if not most, do run OS2. But some newer ATMs, especially those by new manufacturers, use windows.
A russian ATM [therawfeed.com] with a "You haven't activated yet" error message.
Re: (Score:2)
While this is an April Fools joke, many ATMs, really, do run on Windows. I've seen a number of screenshots of crashed ATMs that either give a bluescreen or crash out to the desktop.
Re:Yeah, April Fools... (Score:4, Funny)
At least we don't have to deal with that moronic 'OMG ponies' theme this year.
You're right... OMG KITTENZ [howstuffworks.com] is much better as I'm sure everyone can agree.
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
A lot of ATMs run Windows. I know for a fact the RBC (Royal Bank of Canada) do.